Indian military frustrated by scenes of Pakistani misery

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INDIAN military rescue teams are angry at being forced to watch
helplessly from their side of the Kashmiri line of control as tens
of thousands of Pakistanis fight for their lives.

In the Indian border town of Uri, just a few kilometres from the
Pakistani town of Bagh, Indian air force pilots could only look on
as thousands of Kashmiris suffered without help. One navigator
described the situation along the border as desperate.

"We know they are cut off and their geographical position on the
Pakistani side means that aid is still not getting through to them.
It's gut-wrenching; you can almost reach out and touch them," he
said.

"But as things stand, we can only fly along the border and look
down the valley. Bagh is barely four kilometres from Uri where
Indian aid is starting to arrive in trucks and military
transporters but none of this desperately needed aid can be pushed
on over the border."

Indian army colonel Hemant Juneja agreed rescue teams were
frustrated. "Some of the worst affected areas in Pakistan are
within touching distance for us and we can't do anything about it.
It would make sense for us to move aid over the border from here
but it is unlikely to happen."

He said their priority was to help those on the Indian side.
Foot patrols had been sent because of landslides blocking roads. An
army spokesman confirmed last night that Indian soldiers had
crossed the line to help a dozen Pakistani border guards trapped in
a bunker.

He said six Indian soldiers carrying aid to a village near the
town of Tandgar had been killed in a landslide.